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The House Appropriations Committee passed a Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill for USDA and FDA by a party-line 34-27 vote. The bill would provide a total of $25.3 billion for USDA, FDA and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, representing a two percent reduction from their combined FY23 budgets.
Despite cuts to many programs, the spending bill maintained several vital U.S. potato industry priorities, including:
- Rebuffing the White House’s proposed elimination of $4 million in funding for National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Potato Research Special Grants, which supports competitive potato breeding projects across the country;
- Language that once again prohibits USDA from limiting potato access to the national school breakfast program; and
- SCRI matching waiver language for public institutions.
“When our growers came to D.C. during the NPC Washington Summit, they emphasized the need for these priorities during their visits with their Members of Congress. While many programs took a haircut or were reduced entirely, we can be proud that our advocacy helped maintain these priorities in the House budget. Now, our job is to ensure these priorities are maintained as the bill goes to the House floor and through the Senate,” said Dean Gibson, National Potato Council VP of Legislative Affairs.
SOURCE: NPC
